Life Is Confusing But Ads Don’t Need To Be: A Practical Attribution Clinic

Cookie loss and the rise of AI are changing alllll the rules. Advertisers are facing existential uncertainty about our old standbys like search and social, while our audiences are flocking to new platforms like streaming, podcasts, and connected TV. In such a fractured landscape, how do we figure out what’s working (and what’s not) – and how do we use that information to make every dollar work harder?
In this practical session, Lauren Bobbitt (NRDC), Mat Grim (NRDC), and Sarah Coughlon (M+R) will demystify two complementary approaches: Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA) and Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM). We’ll show you how real organizations have used these advanced tools to identify surprising winners (and unexpected duds!), resulting in smarter media plans and better ROI. You’ll leave with clarity on the benefits of each approach, its limitations and use cases, as well as tips for getting stakeholder buy-in on the technical steps required to stand this up. Most importantly, you’ll leave better-equipped to advocate with leadership and finance for smarter ads investments, including tools for setting more realistic and accountable performance benchmarks.